While the Mid-day reported the singer as saying, “I stay in Pakistan and you stay in India, so you have to support your Army and I will have to support mine. We are hearing from all sides about the surgical strikes, but we know that it was just cross-border firing which keeps happening at the LoC. Right now, it isn’t the time to debate whether it was a surgical strike or cross-border firing, but time for powers that be from both countries to sit down for a discussion and find out a solution to bring peace.”

Ali was scheduled to perform in Bengaluru on September 30 which was cancelled amid heightened Indo-Pak tension following the Uri attacks in which 18 Indian soldiers were killed. “It’s really sad because the artiste fraternity allows an opportunity of dialogue between two countries,” he adds.

In March this year, Ali was embroiled in a controversy when he apparantely sang wrong rendition of Pakistan national anthem at a World Cup match ceremony between India and Pakistan in Kolkata.

Bollywood legendary actor Amitabh Bachhan and Pakistan singer Shafqat Amanat Ali sang national anthems of their respective countries before the match. However, Pakistan fans were quick to react on Amanat’s fumbling and ‘wrong’ rendition on at least two points when he was singing the anthem.